i've been meditating for eight years. my method is sitting upright with my eyes mostly open but relaxed and gently focused on whatever is in front of me within about four feet, usually the floor or a coffee table. i sit and focus on my breathing. two or three times i have meditated for thirty minutes and after have experienced blurred vision when trying to read anything. this lasts about twenty minutes and then returns to normal.

the first time this happened i had been meditating outside and had been looking at something about thirty feet away so i thought maybe it had something to do with the way my eyes were focused so i started fixing my gaze on something closer and a year went by without incident until today i had the problem again.

I wonder if it is just drying out your eyes. I have to close my eyes while meditating because it will dry out my eyes, and when they are dry you can't focus. The fact that it comes back into focus after 30 minutes makes me think it is because you are blinking your eyes and lubricating them. It is just an idea. But I have had dry eye syndrome, and part of it is because I have blepharitis, which got better after using antibiotics on my eye lids, which in turn enabled me to see better. But like I said, I could be wrong.

Urgyen Chodron wrote:I wonder if it is just drying out your eyes. I have to close my eyes while meditating because it will dry out my eyes, and when they are dry you can't focus. The fact that it comes back into focus after 30 minutes makes me think it is because you are blinking your eyes and lubricating them. It is just an idea. But I have had dry eye syndrome, and part of it is because I have blepharitis, which got better after using antibiotics on my eye lids, which in turn enabled me to see better. But like I said, I could be wrong.

thanks for the idea. i'm not sure, i believe i blink while i meditate at a normal rate but i've never really paid attention. they don't feel dry... i'll try to notice next time. good thinking.